Marc Marquez emerged as the standout performer in opening practice for the 2024 Emilia Romagna MotoGP after narrowly edging out Jorge Martin.
The session held at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli took place on a damp track marked by strategic tyre choices and a series of impressive performances from the riders.
As the practice session commenced conditions were less than ideal with a wet surface that challenged even the most seasoned riders. This led to a cautious approach from many riders in the early minutes, as they sought to gather data without risking crashes.
Gresini Ducati’s Marc Marquez quickly established himself as a frontrunner while running a combination of soft front and medium rear tyres which culminated to an impressive lap time of 1:32.082 on his tenth lap.
The first half of the 45-minute session saw only a handful of riders posting times, as they navigated the tricky conditions with caution.
Marquez’s performance was particularly noteworthy given his recent success; he had just come off a victory at the previous San Marino race weekend, where he also set a new lap record.
Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin closely followed Marquez with a time 1:32.145, just 0.063 seconds slower than the time benchmark after delivering consistent pace throughout the session.
Despite facing challenges during the session, including a late crash that forced him to abort his final flying lap, Jorge Martin’s early performance remained strong enough to secure second place. He will be looking to solidify his title lead as he enters the 2024 Emilia Romagna MotoGP with only a seven-point gap over Francesco Bagnaia in the overall standings.
Franco Morbidelli also made headlines after finishing third with a time of 1:32.268, demonstrating that he could cotend for the top spots after struggling earlier in the season. His performance was bolstered by data gathered during previous tests at Misano, allowing him to maximize his bike’s potential on the familiar circuit.
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia finished fourth fastest with a time of 1:32.373 as he looks to rebound from strategic miscalculations in previous races and reclaim the championship lead from Martin.
Aprilia’s Maverick Viñales finished as lead non-Ducati rider with a respectable fifth spot ahead of Gresini’s Alex Marquez and rookie sensation Pedro Acosta as Brad Binder took the eighth spot.
Quartararo managed to secure ninth with a time of 1:32.682, marking a notable improvement for Yamaha as he secured a direct Q2 entry—a feat he achieved for the first time this season.
Jack Miller rounded out the top ten ahead of Miguel Oliveira and Enea Bastianini, with the Trackhouse and factory Ducati rider separated by only 0.002s.
The Repsol Honda team saw both Joan Mir and Luca Marini return to action after health issues sidelined them previously. While their times placed them towards the bottom half of the standings—17th and 20th respectively—they focused on gathering valuable data for their teams.
The practice session also saw a crash involving Binder and Bastianini which resulted to a yellow flag towards the end of the session. In terms of overall performance across the grid, it was evident that many riders were still adjusting to their setups following recent tests and races.
